Apurba Barman joins staff at AgriLife as entomologist

Texas AgriLife Extension and Research Center in Lubbock has a new researcher, will cover 41-county region

Like cotton, Apurba Barman is native to India. But Barman and cotton now call the South Plains home.

Texas AgrilLife Extension and Research Services recently hired Barman as an entomologist. His new job is at the regional research office near Lubbock’s airport. From there, he oversees a 41-county region as an assistant to farmers by providing advice and expertise on insects.

Barman earned a doctorate from Texas A&M and a masters in entomology from Texas Tech. The behavior of insects has long fascinated Barman — specifically how they adapt and find food.

“Insects are the most diverse group,” Barman said. “They amaze me all the time.”

Bees are important because they pollinate crops, Barman explained. And ladybugs serve farmers by eating aphids that can damage crops.

“It is interesting how many beneficial insects are out there,” Barman said. “People don’t have an appreciation for the beneficial insects.”

One mistake he sees farmers make is the use of unneeded pesticides. This can be harmful because helpful insects suffer needlessly.

The criteria of what is considered a pest is based partly on the volume of insects. Barman said knowing the threshold of when an insect becomes a pest is important.

Besides ladybugs, lacewing and minute pirate bugs feed on crop-damaging pests, but do not harm the plants.

Monarch butterflies are Barman’s favorite insect.

“The monarch story is fascinating to me,” he said.

There are more insect species than any other group, Barman pointed out. Cotton bugs are of particular interest to him. He finds the cotton industry and its pests appealing because of the industry’s size.

The biggest pest for the cotton crop is thrips, Barman said. They are tiny insects that feed on the leaves, sucking the juice from the plant. They are even more harmful when plants are young with smaller leaves. There are more thrips in the northern part of the region than southern. The damage is dependent on how well farmers manage their crop, Barman explained.

“In a drought situation, thrip populations tend to be low,” Barman said. “But if a plant is weak, the thrips can cause damage.”

Additionally, farmers have recently faced a new challenge. A product, named Temik, that was used to control the thrip population was pulled from the market because of environmental problems. Alternatives to Temik include seed treatment, alternative pesticides that are less effective and a combination of the two.

Working in Lubbock is a dream come true for Barman. He called the faculty and group of researchers at AgriLife good.

And Barman’s supervisor, Charles Allen, said Barman puts 110 percent into his work.

“Dr. Barman impresses me in several ways,” Allen said. “First he knows Texas and the High Plains, and he likes it.”

As an example of the extra effort Barman puts into his work, Allen told of how during Barman’s research at Tech he took a wider perspective than needed. Allen expects the same active approach from Barman on the job.

“He is not going to sit on the sidelines,” Allen said. “He is going to be in the middle of it.”

Barman looks challenges in the face, Allen explained, and goes after them. He added that Barman is excited to be in Lubbock and working for cotton growers.